Analysis Of The Motorcycle Diaries Walter Salles

Analysis Of The Motorcycle Diaries Walter Salles
The Motorcycle Diaries (2004), directed by Walter Salles, demonstrates nuanced political motifs
highlighting not only the overt political turmoil of Latin America as well as socio–political
problems. Salles combines this with 'Hollywood' and filmic politics, Salle's own own understanding
of the project of film–making in Latin America responds to what the film scholar Zuzana pick has
called a "continental project" that is a common creative activity directed toward cultural
decolonialisation, identify search, and political unity through the cinematic expression amid the
continent's countries (Elena, & Díaz López, 2003) in order to create a romanticised global product
whose politics can be seen as determined by the need to appease film goers, ... Show more content
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And Salles again demonstrates Ernesto's burgeoning communist awakening by having him suggest,
forming a trade union when he asks, a local man unfairly fired from his job if he has organised with
other workers in order to overthrow their boss. Another example Salles using creative licence to
serve his own bias or that of film goers and financial backers, by simplifying the narrative. He does
this in order to elicit a gut response of injustice in the viewer, making the narrative that of the
oppressed against the oppressors or good against evil. Salles cinematography specifically here
attempts to place the viewer in Ernesto's position by having him shoot a series of photos which are
displayed on screen in black and white, from the photographers perspective. This seeks to have the
audience empathise and perhaps change along with Ernesto by seeing the results of oppressive
authority on to peoples they do not understand. This invokes other stories of journeys, like Jack
Kerouac's 'On the Road' Which similarly exploits the plight of indigenous peoples "It was
beautiful... I thought I'd found my life's work." (Kerouac, 1997) in the purity of this environment Sal
finds himself among the Mexican peasant workers. Salles Indigenous peoples regurgitate this theme
of retaining the unique essence of the land when compared to the modern cities of the Spanish
conquistadors. This interaction furthers Guevara
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The Bicycle Thief
In this paper I will be talking about the film The Bicycle Thief's by director Vittorio DeSica. In this
film he makes it clear that there are problems with the main character that extends to the greater
population of post–War Rome. I will be covering how director Desica makes the film's narrative and
use of mise–en scene.
At this time in the film and in real life everyone is struggling to find a job and money. Antonio Ricci
was offered a job but needs a bicycle in order to have the job. Others in this scene of the movie have
a bicycle and want the job. A gentlemen in the crowd ask the guy offering job if he wants them to
rot. They do not have money for a bicycle so they sell sheets to get a bicycle. A way that this film
first shows how much

Film Analysis Of 'Bicycle Thieves'
Bicycle Thieves, set in economically devastated post–war Italy, where thieves burgeon. Vittorio de
Sica emphasized the "daily struggles of ordinary people as a key concern of Italian neo–realist
directors, who wished to portray reality in a more faithful manner than the era's dominant escapist
studio product, whether it came from Hollywood or Italy's own Cinecitta (Steffen)." Most directors
during that time, portrayed the plight of the everyday Italian with rose–tinted glasses, distracting
from the real issues that they were facing every day. De Sica set out to show the opposite while in
"Europe, the searching self–examination provoked by a devastating war and the revelation of
Hitler's death camps implicated an entire culture, includ[ed] a cinema of complicity and vain
distraction, typified in Italy by the "white telephone" farces and historical super spectacles of the
1930's (Cheshire)." Both movies though from very different time periods set out to reveal the flaws
in the system against everyday people. There Will Be Blood had no real social impact in American
cinematography, but Bicycle Thieves, on the other hand, set a reminder that a whole world exists
outside the movie theater, to which our conscience and humanity requires us to pay attention.
There Will Be Blood is an epic film depicting vast landscapes in very thematic shots, while Bicycle
Thieves is a budget film shot in real locations with untrained actors. Bicycle Thieves presents
Antonio as a good man which

Comparing The Bicycle Thieves And The 400 Blows
Judy Park
COMM 460
Dr. Miller
03/11/15
The Beauty in Ordinary Life
Vittorio De Sica's The Bicycle Thieves (1948) and Francois Truffaut's The 400 Blows (1959) are
both recognized as highly influential films of their specific era that introduced an innovative way of
cinema world–wide. With the Italian Neorealism intention of using a more realistic approach to
film, The Bicycle Thieves highlighted post–war Rome's cultural society and economy by following
the journey of an ordinary man and his family's efforts to survive. The 400 Blows, being a French
New Wave film, went against the traditional French cinema and practiced the auteur approach
through its style of autobiography of the director Truffaut, himself, as a troublesome child. Similar
... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Instead, they intend to reflect how real life is truly like and leave the audience to interpret the ending
or the entire film on their own. In The Bicycle Thieves, the final scene is shows Antonio and his son
holding hands in tears, as they blend into the mass of anonymous people walking down the street,
defeated by poverty. Antonio's shoulder gets blatantly hit by the vehicle that is driving through the
middle of the crowd, but numbed by powerlessness, he does not react. The camera watches the two
solemnly walk away with the crowd and into an uncertain

Bicycle Thieves
Vittorio De Sica's The Bicycle Thieves is a simple story set amidst a post–war Rome. It is a
neorealist film characterized by setting the story amongst the poor and working class. The film
surrounds the difficult economical and moral conditions of post WWII Italy, reflecting the
conditions of everyday life: Poverty and desperation, with the implicit message that in a better
society, wealth would be more evenly distributed. The plot is simple, surrounding a man, his son
and a bicycle. The film tells a story of Antonio Ricci, an unemployed worker who finally gets a job
to paste advertisements in the city of Rome. To keep this job, he must have a bicycle, in which his
wife, Maria had to pawn their bed linens to get money to redeem their ... Show more content on
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This further creates authenticity of the film and shows the hardship that the people face during that
period. As for the actors, none had the slightest experience in theater or film. Antonio (Lamberto
Maggiorani) was a factory worker in Breda factory, Bruno (Enzo Staiola) was found hanging around
in the street and Maria (Lianella Carell) was a journalist. Despite his age, Bruno already plays a
mature role in the family, as can be seen in him working. Nonetheless, dressed like his father in
overalls, he remains at his father's side or in his shadow. We first see him proudly cleaning the
newly reclaimed bicycle, and he gently rebukes his father for not complaining to the pawnshop
workers about a dent for which they are responsible. Bruno's self–assured walk and obedience to his
father's authority are nothing compared to the love for his father we see in his eyes. In addition,
Bruno serves as his father's moral compass: "What are you, my conscience?" Antonio asks,
annoyed, moments after striking him. As his father's conscience, but also as his son and friend,
Bruno suffers public humiliation with him. One distinct prop that the movie uses is the bicycle. the
brand name of Antonio's bicycle, Fides, which means "faith" or, even more ironically for this story,
"reliance." (Nothing could be less reliable than that red bicycle.) This can be seen in many scenes.
For example, right at the beginning of the movie, the bicycle is introduced when the government
officer

Bicycle Thieves
André Bazin stated when referring to the renowned classic Bicycle Thieves, "the 'truth' suggested by
the film was that, in a situation of social breakdown, the poor had to steal from the poor in order to
survive" (51). Bicycle Thieves in its neorealist approach reflects this statement from Bazin in many
aspects. We play witness to the cycle of victims turning into thieves described by Bazin from the
beginning to the end of this film. In the article assigned with the film, it described the
foreshadowing of these desperate times through the dent on the bike, which Antonio would allow
even more damage to happen to it through it theft. The idea of theft is trivialized within the film,
playing off the framework that at the time the poor truly had

Bicycle Thieves: An Italian Neorealism Film
Bicycle Thieves by Vittorio De Sica, 1948, was an Italian Neorealism film. It not only changed
cinema, but it used cinema to approach reality in Italy during that time period. There are many
differences between Italian Neorealism films and Hollywood Cinema.
In the first scene when Ricci gets a job, it begins with a bus passing by to see a group of
unemployed, working class men, waiting for a job. The audience is introduced to the social context
first; to show us that real life is still going on, a key feature in Italian neorealism because Italian
neorealism films are based on non–fiction stories. The audience is then introduced to the main
character, Ricci. Ricci is sitting away from the group of unemployed men, showing us that he is
defeated, ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Or to put it another way, his technique is not merely technical. An acknowledged master of film
form, Almodóvar exploits mise–en–scène, cinematography, and editing to unexpected effects"
(959). What he is saying is that, technique can be used to work with or against the film, but
Almodóvar uses different cinematographic and mise–en–scene, techniques than many other
filmmakers do to show the emotional significance of film in a different way. Camera movement in
films is often mobile, and when it is moving, it foreshadows that life is about to change. In the scene
where Manuela and Esteban watch television in their living room, they are kept in the same frame,
the camera not moving away from them. This shows the audience that they're a family, but soon,
that will end. During the film, the most mobile scenes are of Manuela on her way to Barcelona.
Close up shots are used here to indicate her son is no longer with her, and that she is alone. They
then cut quickly from Manuela, to the tunnel, and then to the train zooming by, but no shot being
held for too long. Almodóvar also doesn't hold emotional scenes of the characters in one shot for too
long. When Manuela tells Rosa her son died, the door then shuts, leaving the audience on the
outside where they can no longer see Manuela's face, but they can hear her cry. In Hollywood
cinema, emotional scenes are often held longer, tied with close up shots so

Antonio Ricci Bicycle Thieves
Jacob Spence
September 17th, 2014
ITA1113
Antonio Ricci: The Bicycle Thief
Antonio Ricci, the protagonist of Vittorio De Sica's Bicycle Thieves, inhabits an Italy torn apart by
the Second World War. The decaying city streets and mass poverty is a far cry from the society
united under communism envisioned by earlier neorealist filmmakers. De Sica uses Ricci to critique
capitalism, as well to document the struggle of the masses in Post War Italy. The theft of his Bicycle
sends Ricci, along with De Sica's camera, across Rome and into the depths of Roman society.
The film emphasizes the rift between the upper and lower classes of Italy. The job Ricci lands at the
beginning of film has him putting up posters featuring Rita Hayworth, a reminder of Hollywood
idealism and a symbol of American wealth and glamour. Ricci later claims that movies bore him,
perhaps echoing the sentiments of the neorealists. The restaurant scene juxtaposes Ricci and his son,
Bruno, with a bourgeois family sitting at another table. The staff act contemptuously towards the
protagonists, avoiding eye contact and hurriedly delivering their food, furthermore their table is the
only one in the entire restaurant without a tablecloth, De Sica suggests that capitalism is not only the
division of wealth, but the division of people. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
After he loses it, he seems to value its return as much as he values his own family. He repeatedly
fails to consider his son's well being in his unrelenting quest to locate the bike, marching onward as
Bruno trips and falls behind him. Capitalism in effect corrupts and distorts Ricci's values and
morals. The bicycle itself works as a symbol of this corruption, a material possession (like money),
that becomes almost a physiological need within a capitalist

Examples Of Conflict In The Book Thief
There are multiples conflicts in this film. Let's talk about Human v. Society. Ricci is trying to find a
job to support his family post–World War II. Although he does everything he can every single day to
find a job, it's very difficult to find one. Once a job is available, he has to lie to obtain the job. Now
he has to buy a bicycle, with money that his family doesn't have, so that he could work. In those
times after the war, people on a lower class found it very difficult to find jobs, so anything that was
available was a great opportunity. Moving to Human v. Human. After Ricci and his son find the man
who stole the bicycle they try to confront him and start pursuing him. The man slips away from
them, and because of this, in a moment of rage, Ricci slaps his son for letting the man slip away.
Ricci continues to look for the thief but cannot find him. Later that day, Ricci encounters the thief
once again. He starts to chase him, but hostile neighbors protect the thief. Ricci calls a policeman
who tells him that the case is weak and the neighbors are giving the thief an alibi. This conflict is
human v. human because he is trying to recover his bicycle by directly confronting the thief. ...
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They are near a football stadium that has a row of parked bicycles. For Ricci, the world seems full
of other people's bicycles. Ricci sees an unattended bicycle near a doorway. He circles the
unattended bicycle, summons his courage, and jumps on it. A group of people surrounds him, he is
pulled from the bike, slapped and insulted. After the owner of the bike sees Ricci's son, he has a
moment of compassion and tells the others to release Ricci. Ricci and his son walk slowly into the
crowd. The camera watches from behind as they disappear into the

What Is The Bicycle Thief Essay
The Bicycle Thief: Desparate times call for desperate measures
The Bicycle Thief Post WWII, economy of Italy drastically collapses which brings the depression in
the country with unemployment on the rise and the population struggling to live. Italians desperately
needing jobs in order for them to support their family and themselves. Vittorio De Sica, the director
of the film, The Bicycle Thief, captures the real life setting and happenings of Italy during that
decade by naturally getting the actors who are living the rough time. He brings out an emotional and
a realistic story that touches and aches our hearts.
The movie that was filmed in 1948, The Bicycle Thief, begins with a man called Ricci. Ricci was
unemployed and he finally gets a chance ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Though he did not own one, he and his family sacrificed some material goods from their home and
sold them to earn some cash out of them in order to buy a bicycle. His job was to put up posters
around town and this was his chance of bringing his family up from the poverty line. One day, while
he was glueing up posters around town someone stole his bicycle from him. He tried to catch up to
the man who stole his bicycle however he was in town which was very busy. There were too many
people and most of them were riding on bicycles. He tried to catch up and even accused some
bicycle riders but unfortunately he did not find his bicycle for that day. He then tried to look for his
bicycle along with his son and accused so many people for it. Due to desperation, Ricci thought of
just stealing someone else's bike most probably thinking that if he did he could get away with it just
how his bicycle

Comparison of Two Films: Essay
In that paper, I will try to compare two films which are "A Birth of a Nation" directed by
D.W.Griffith and "The Bicycle Thieves" directed by De Sica. After giving the story of the films, I
will try to explain their technical features and their similarities.
A Birth of a Nation by D. W. Griffith Griffith can be seen as the first 'modern' director, his greatest
achievements being the historical epics The Birth Of A Nation. When it was released, it was one of
the longest films ever made, over three hours in length. The prologue depicts the introduction of
slavery to America in the seventeenth century and the beginnings of the abolitionist movement. The
major part of the film depicts the events before, during and after the Civil ... Show more content on
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The mainstream picture was probably the best advertisement that the KU KLUX KLAN could have
had. The vilifying of blacks also led to the Jim Crow system. When it was portrayed in this movie as
acceptable, people in the South felt much better about doing horrible deeds to black citizens,
denying blacks their civil rights
Though the portrayal of both blacks and the KU KLUX KLAN were extremely off track, the movie
itself was an amazing work of cinema for its time. This was probably the first movie to use hundreds
of extra in a battle scene. These scenes were well crafted by the filmmaker, and while not to the
perfection of more modern films such as Braveheart, the technology and genius that the filmmaker
used rival such films. To think that the movie was released only fifty years after the end of the Civil
War makes the feat seem even more incredible. In seeing the huge battles, I did not need sound to
hear the sounds of battle

The Bicycle Thief, By Antonio Ricke
Set in post–World War II Rome, The Bicycle Thief is about a father who is searching for his stolen
bicycle because without it, he will lose the job that is the only way to support his family. This film is
one of the greatest works of Italian Neorealism and is also considered as one of the greatest films of
all time. It also received different awards including the Best Director, Best Screenplay and Best
Film. This masterpiece was created with $131,000 as its estimated budget. The Bicycle Thief was
directed by Vittorio De Sica and was originally released in Italy on 1948 with the title "Bicycle
Thieves" The film was also released in U.S on 1949 entitled "The Bicycle Thief"
A man whose name is Antonio Ricci has been jobless for years and he is ... Show more content on
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After sometime, he mustered his courage and jumps on one of the bicycles. Unfortunately, he was
caught in the act and a commotion occurred. Bruno saw his father being slapped, humiliated, and
insulted. Before Antonio was brought to the police station, the owner noticed Bruno carrying his
father's hat and in a moment of sympathy, the owner told the people to let Antonio go. The Bicycle
Thief ends with Antonio and Bruno sad and devastated from what has just happened. Antonio fights
back his tears and his son takes his

Ignorance In The Bicycle Thieves
Humans have the tendency to romanticize many aspects of our society, be it wars, relationships, or
histories. However with this romanticism, comes ignorance, of most negative aspects of truth and
reality. This nostalgic ignorance and apathy towards those negatively affected by generally
romanticized events is the central theme of Vittorio de Sica's neorealist work The Bicycle Thieves.
This argument is created by accurate incidental music, stark contrast in shots, and fluid, human
camera tracking throughout the film.
Every background and still of The Bicycle Thieves tells its own story, via the mise–en scen
technique. One of the first scenes is the pawn store scene, where Maria turns their bedsheets in order
to redeem Antonio's bike, a necessity ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
This realism is based in both the very human nature of the acting, as expressed in Charles Burnett's
essay Ode to the Common Man, as well as in the fluid camera movements of the film. This
humanist camera movement is best exemplified by the scene where Antonio believes Bruno to have
jumped into the river, after Antonio slapped him. The camera follows Antonio, creating an effect of
truly being there, further enhancing the realism, and therefore the thematic material as the two were
linked. The human nature is further revealed within the acting of the film, an observation made in
Burnett's essay. "Her [Maria] look of disappointment is powerfully affecting. I [Burnett] often
wonder if that was de Scia or her." (Burnett). This argument is a direct proof at the argument, as the
disappointment expressed at the denial by the richer store operator, directly paralleling the apathy, if
distaste of the rich towards the society's poor. This connection however, would be completely lost if
not for the inherently human and personal performances by the

Essay on The Bicycle Thief
The Bicycle Thief "The Bicycle Thief" is a deeply moving neo–realist study of post–War Italy
which depicts one man's loss of faith and his struggle to maintain personal dignity in poverty and
bureaucratic indifference. Antonio Ricci is a bill–poster whose bicycle, essential for his job, is stolen
by a thief. Joined by his son Bruno, Antonio vainly searches for his bike, eventually resorting to the
humiliation of theft himself. Throughout this paper, I will attempt to trace the character through
"The Bicycle Thief." The film opens with a montage of early morning urban activities ending on a
crowd of unemployed laborers clamoring for work. Sitting to the side is Antonio Ricci. ... Show
more content on Helpwriting.net ...
He gently scolds his wife for her superstitions, but Maria holds firm to her belief in the woman's
psychic ability. In a series intermittent domestic scenes, Antonio is portrayed as a loving husband
and an understanding father. His warmth belies the stereotypically "macho" Latin male. He helps his
wife carry heavy buckets of water and engages his young son Bruno as a reliable helper, and trusted
him with the preparation of the cherished bicycle for the first day's work. Hired as a billposter,
Antonio was required to affix looming images of Rita Hayworth to the gray and ancient walls of
Rome; ironically, he juxtaposes Hollywood's glamorous world vision to the stark realties of post–
War Europe. While Antonio struggles to smooth out the lumps under the advertisement, a thief slips
up behind him and steals his bicycle. Antonio chases him in vain, loses him in the rush of the mid–
morning traffic. Thus begins an unrelenting three day search for his stolen bicycle. Accompanied by
Bruno, Antonio combs Rome to recover his property, which has come to represent both his
livelihood and any hope for a prosperous future. The police are of no help; they cannot be bothered
with such a trivial case. Enlisting friends, Antonio and his son search the open air markets where
stolen goods are dismantled and sold, for a trace of evidence. In a masterful

The Work Bicycle Thieves By Vittorio De Sica
The work Bicycle Thieves is chosen to be discussed in this essay. Bicycle Thieves is an Italian film
published in 1948, directed by Vittorio De Sica. It gained both commercial and artistic success, and
have won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1948. The film is famous for its
neorealism that reflects the post–war Italian society. In the following essay, I'm going to discuss
how did De Sica use the cinematography skills to strengthen his expressions in Bicycle Thieves, and
the ways he conveys the meaning of the film.
De Sica claimed a film is "reality transposed into the realm of poetry" (Turan 103). So, the principle
of his directing is to be genuine and realistic. This shares some similarities with the ideas of Italian
neorealism. According to 'Ten points of neorealism' published by the Paris Journal in 1952, a
neorealist movie should have some of the following features: a message; topical scripts by concrete
events; a sense of the masses; realism; the truth of actors (often non–professionals) and lighting;
refusal of the studio (Lielm 131–132). Bicycle Thieves comprise with most of the characteristics
mentioned above and made good use of them:
First, the selection of the actors. De Sica denied David Selznick's suggestion of Cary Grant for the
lead and his financial support. He insists on selecting unprofessional actors to be the protagonists of
the film. The factory worker Lamberto Maggiorani played the leading role Antonio Ricci, and
another

Bicycle Thieves Themes
Bicycle Thieves, an Italian film directed by Vito De Sica is a classic of the Neorealist film
movement. The film depicts a story of a father and son and their journey together to find the main
character's; Antonio Ricci's; stolen bike. On a baseline level, this film shows a sense of mystery and
action, all surrounded by the family unit. The family unit divides into a few prevalent themes within
the film such as the bond of husband and wife, the bond of the father and son and the karma
philosophy and specifically how it affects community. The sense of family is a strong theme within
the film Bicycle Thieves. This is played out through Antonio's relationships with his wife, Maria. In
the beginning, Antonio and Maria's relationship takes hold of the story. Their relationship to another
is compact and yet pure. In many ways, at first one can see Maria's character as plot device. Yet
upon closer examination one can see she sets up the strong family unit that drives her husband and
son; Bruno; upon their mission. Maria is a strong character and a strong women. I believe it is her
strong presence that makes Antonio want to be strong. It is ... Show more content on
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It speaks to the philosophy around decision making, and how one decision against another human
being can affect one's own life. While Karma is a mere theory I believe this film brings this theory
to life. There is a scene between the " One who sees", Maria and Antonio. Within this scene
(approximately 20 minutes into the film) Antonio convinces Marias not to " waste her money" on
repaying the physic women; who predicted Antonio's grace of a new job to Maria in a previous off
screen B–Story. It is this decision that provokes Antonio's desperate need is to have his bike
returned.Antonio lost his bike, and therefore lost his job (implied narrative). Bicycle Thieves,
displays a themes that shows how one choice upon the human family will effect a person on a
personal

Italian Neo Realism During World War II
Introduction Italian Neo–Realism is a movement and trend in Italian film based on the changed
social and economic realities forced upon Italy by WWII. It is a style of film characterized by
stories set amongst the poor and working class, filmed on location, frequently using nonprofessional
actors. Italian Neo–Realism relates closely to the war realities in Italy at the end of World War II and
after World War II. "Italian neorealist films mostly contend with the difficult economical and moral
conditions of post–World War II Italy, reflecting the changes in the Italian psyche and the conditions
of everyday life: poverty and desperation. The neorealist movement began in Italy at the end of
World War II as an urgent response to the political ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
(Film making techniques used to reflect the reality), The harsh reality of war torn Italy is presented
in the texts Rome, Open City and Bicycle Thieves through specific film techniques that the directors
of the non–professional films and actors have chosen. The main techniques used were Non diegetic
sound: Music is used throughout the film to transition the mood and atmosphere. "Cinematography
is used through the choices of shots in the film to influence the meaning through showing the harsh
postwar realities in Italy after the world war. Shot sizes influences the meaning to the audience.
Close up shots/extreme close ups shots and long shots. "4 In Bicycle Thieves non–diegetic sound:
Slow music was used to show that there was a sad mood and atmosphere in the movie when Antonio
gets his bike stolen and while they walk with the crowd at the end of the movie. Upbeat, happy
music was used to show there was a good mood and atmosphere in the film when Antonio received
the job, when he got his new bike and was working. Close up shots are taken of Antonio during
tough times when he is trying to find his bike, it helps the audience gain access to the mind and
thought process of him when he figures out he will never find his bike in the end, lose his job and
have no family income. Long shot is taken at the start of the film when mass crowds of people were
trying to get jobs to feed and provide for their families. These camera shots play an important role in
the

Irony In The Bicycle Thief
Landscapes of Power and Powerlessness in Graziadei and De Sica's (1948) The Bicycle Thief
Set in the depression times of post–World War II Italy, Graziadei and De Sica's (1948) The Bicycle
Thief narrates the story of Antonio Ricci (Lamberto Maggiorani), who, after finding a job as a bill
poster, loses his bicycle to a young thief. He tries to look for it with his son Bruno (Enzo Staiola);
however, despite seeing the thief, he fails to recover his bicycle. Desperate, he tries to steal a bike
himself but is easily thwarted by a group of bystanders. They plan to bring him to the police station
until the owner notices the weeping Bruno and, in an act of compassion, ask others to release the
thief. In this paper, I argue that The Bicycle Thief ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Henri Lefebvre (1991) asserted that the production of space concerns the "performances of power
through (as cited in Aitken & Dixon, 2006, p. 332). Space is power. Large spaces between the rich
and the poor in the buying area underline the performance of space. The representation of space is
much more crowded for the poor as shown in the Piazza Vittorio. Gonzaga (2017) would call this
the "cinematographic unconscious of slum voyeurism" (p. 102). Representational spaces are filled
up with the power of the government and the rich. The scene of the linen being brought up in the
warehouse of linen characterizes society's gross inequality, suggesting that the rich steals from the
poor the most. Depicting the poor as they are illustrates the spaces denied to them. If they are
concentrated in any space, it is the space of neglect and impoverishment. Filmic landscapes in The
Bicycle Thief reveal the reel and the real, the widespread social conditions and their social meanings
for the working–class in desperate conditions. De Sica uses mise–en–scene to reveal poverty and
mobility to underline the lack of movement of the poor. In the end, they steal from each other, an
ironic misdeed, when the rich steals from them the most, specifically by denying them better
economic opportunities. The ending is pessimistic but realistic: the poor have no one else but
themselves, as they huddle to an uncertain

Bicycle Thieves
Perhaps no other character in Bicycle Thieves (De Sica, 1948) transforms as subtly as Bruno (Enzo
Staiola), the motormouth son of Antonio (Lamberto Maggiorani). Conveyed primarily through
performance, Bruno's converts from a hard–working fast–talker with an affinity for mozzarella
sandwiches to a silent, weeping witness as his father is driven by despair to commit the same crime
that threw their lives into chaos. Despite not appearing until the film's fifteen minute mark, Bruno
assumes the role of the primary supporting character and his reaction to the events of the film
becomes a metric by which to weigh the ramifications of Antonio's descent into despair. At the
beginning of the film, it's established that Bruno has a keen eye for observation;

Jonathan Hunt's Essay 'Reading And Writing About A Bicycle'
In the essay "Reading and Writing about a Bicycle," Jonathan Hunt explains the bicycle subculture,
known as the "fixie". Hunt gives the details about this sub–culture of bicycle enthusiast, including
the visual appearance of both the riders and the bikes. The riders take on the appearance of a
professional road racer, along with that of skinny and scruffy kids. While the bicycles themselves
can be brightly colored and adorned with corporate names and logos, or old, scratched and chipped.
While the appearance of these fixies vary drastically, they all maintain two values that are constant.
Hunt, points to the first as being minimalistic, and the second being the lack of safety features, such
as brakes. Hunt, further tells the audience about

The Bicycle Thieves
The Bicycle Thieves is an Italian Neorealist black and white movie directed by Vittorio De Sica.
The movie is about an unemployed father named Antonio Ricci, who is finding a way to recover the
family's lost bicycle. The bicycle was a very important thing that was owned by the Ricci family,
but it was stolen by a young man while Antonio was working. The movie was filmed in an outskirt
of Rome. However, this film is different from other films, because it is neither romantic nor
sentimental, but it is a movie that showcases the real life drama of the Italians after the second
World War.
The editing in the last sequence of the movie The Bicycle Thieves is inconsequential in that it does
little on its own to contribute to a scene because it alludes to reality than fantasy. It continues to
show the audience a real life drama, rather than a stereotypical movie drama where fantasy is added.
Especially in the last sequence of the movie, the build up of Antonio's intensity does not need much
editing because then it will look overly dramatized. For example, with the long shot part where
Antonio finally stole the bicycle, there was ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
In addition, the audience was also introduced to settings that avoided the usual associations of Rome
to truly immerse the audience to the real life Italian culture. Especially in the last sequence of the
film, everything seems to be continuously raw from the setting to the main actors and to the
supporting actors in connection from the beginning of the film. In the last remaining shots, as the
camera was following the two main characters, Antonio and Bruno, it was as if the they were the
only ones that mattered; no more thoughts of the bike but just both of them as two human beings.
Until, they blended with the other people, making them part of the reality

Social Effects Of The Italian Neorealism
After World War II during the years 1945 to 1951, there was a surge of films being made in Italy.
These films usually had a central story line that revolved around social problems and poverty that
the Italians were facing then. Another signature from this film movement was the use of non–actors
and scenes being shot on location. This film movement is known as the Italian Neorealism. This
essay will further elaborate how World War II, poverty and social problems faced by the Italians
gave birth to this film movement.
Pre World War II and World War II
– Cinecitta(Cinema city) – Housed twelve sound stages. More than half of the Italian films were
shot there from 1937 to 1943.
– Between 1940–1942 Italy's battlefield successes boosted the film ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
Pina's muder suggest that – as opposed to movies – good people may die pointlessly.
– Camera lingers on a scene after the action concluded or refuse to eliminate those moments in
which "nothing happens" (Characteristics)
– Favored open–ended narratives, in which central plot lines were left unresolved. This was justified
as the most realistic approach to storytelling, since in life, few events neatly tie up everything that
went before. (Characteristics)
– Many modernist filmmakers came to rely on the long take – the abnormally lengthy shot, typically
sustained by camera movements. This justified as presenting the event in continuous "real time",
without the manipulations of editing. (Characteristics)
– Halting delivery, fragmentary and elliptical speeches, and refusal to meet other player's eyes run
counter to the rapid crafted performances of American Cinema

Bicycle Thieves Neorealism
The Bicycle Thief is a deeply moving neo–realist films of the 1940's focused on the state of Italy in
the aftermath of WWII, which depicts one man's loss of faith and his struggle to maintain personal
dignity in poverty and bureaucratic indifference. The director use neorealism in this film to show the
working class life, set in the culture of poverty, and with the implicit message that in a better society
wealth would be more evenly distributed. The majority of the movie is focused around the bicycle.
The main character Antonio Ricci is having a hard time finding a job but all of that changes after he
own a bicycle, which was later stolen. Joined by his son Bruno, Antonio struggles to find his bicycle
and tries to still one, eventually resorting

Vittorio de Sica's The Bicycle Thief Essay
Vittorio de Sica's The Bicycle Thief
Since the beginning of its existence as a country, Italy has faced enormous challenges in establishing
itself as a unified political and social entity. The geographic, economic, and linguistic differences
between its various regions and the artificial manner in which they were amalgamated created a
legacy of internal divisions that continues to dominate the country's political climate to this day.
Italy's numerous historical fiascoes, such as its disastrous involvement in the two World Wars and
the rise of fascism, further escalated the domestic problems that had haunted it since the
Risorgimento. At first, the anti–fascist Resistance movement, which dominated the end of World
War II, seemed to ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Originally applied to the government of Agostino Depretis in the 1880s, transformismo quickly
became equated with any ethically questionable, self–interested actions taken by public officials
purely for the sake of staying in office and maintaining power. This often manifested itself in the
creation of a smoke screen of reformatory rhetoric intended to satisfy the electorate, without a
subsequent introduction of any real reforms. The colonialist manner in which Piedmont annexed the
other regions to create a united Italy during the Risorgimento and the divisions inherent in the new
kingdom resulted in a "historical compromise" that made any deliberate social change very difficult.
Consequently, Italian leaders of the destra storica and sinistra storica (the first two eras of Italian
political history) shifted their focus from meaningful governance to the practice of transformismo,
permanently shaping the face of Italian political life. The prevailing motto of this practice was
captured perfectly in a line from Luchino Visconti's 1963 film, The Leopard: "Things must change
in order to stay the same."
Attendismo, the other type of quasi–action, was a tendency of the leftist Italian parties to passively
wait for change to occur from the outside, without taking any substantial revolutionary action on
their own. The Socialist Party's slogan "No support, but no

The Bicycle Thief Essay example
&#9;Another fine example of neorealism is The Bicycle Thief (1948), written by Cesare
Zavattini and directed by Vittorio De Sica. The narrative of this film unfolds in post–W.W.II times.
The film is a portrait of the post–war Italian disadvantaged class (the majority) in their search for
self–respect. It is a time of struggle for the Italian people, amplified by a shortage of employment
and lack of social services. In the first scenes of the film, these conditions are evident as Antonio
Ricci (Lamberto Maggiorami) meets his spouse Maria (Lianalla Carell) on his way back home. We
see the "men" arguing at the employment "office" as the
"women" argue about the shortage of water. Although the director's ... Show more
content on Helpwriting.net ...
&#9;Self–respect and all the related values such as pride, dignity, modesty and honor are very
important in Italian society. Witness Bruno, whom at a young age, works full time at a gas station.
Bruno's contributions to the Ricci family make him a "man" and strip him of his
innocence. Being able to work is an optimistic endeavor which Bruno wholeheartedly engages in.
&nbsp;
&#9;The tragedy is not Antonio's previous two years of unemployment– it is that he has no
future in his new job, due to the theft of his bike. Antonio must face this tragedy with no public
support other than his friend Baiocco. Baiocco's willingness to help with his friends and his
optimistic response to Maria constitute another case of human optimism. This form of optimism
pervades the film with Antonio's perseverance and determination to find the stolen bike. These
events stimulate the viewer's mind to think of solutions related to Antonio's situation, perhaps to try
to solve problems of post–war Italy such as crime, famine, health issues, living condition, etc.; ills
that have affected society then and now around the globe.
&#9;Antonio's frustration of missing the thief for a second time fuels the hopelessness in
continuing his search. He attempts to forget his predicament by treating himself and his son to a
meal and a liter of wine.
The restaurant scene reflects the Italian Sunday tradition, as the more affluent families went out to

Vittorio De Sica's Bicycle Thieves
Vittorio de Sica's movie Bicycle Thieves is a global classic, that depicts post–war poverty in Rome
where there is no empathy for one another. The movie belongs to the Italian neorealist genre with
the basic idea of creating compelling movies out of a comparatively insignificant incident like that
of a bicycle robbery which could have happened to any common man in Italy. As one may agree,
movie is simple, realistic and conveys a dramatic theme. Post war Italy has a significant impact on
its economy and people causing severe poverty, unemployment and housing problems that are
clearly depicted in the movie. These crisis in the city form the 'real' in the neo–realistic movie. As
Brennan points out in 'Global Neorealism: The Transnational History of a Film Style', postwar
Italian cinema displays two contradictory poles: one emphasized critical merit and aesthetic
qualities while the other relied on visual suggestions and visual intimations of the content like in
Sica's ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
In 'Bicycle Thieves: A Re–Reading', Tomasula says that the ideology in Bicycle Thieves presents
itself as "Life" rather than as a system of concepts. With minimal resources, the movie is shot and
managed to convey the plight of common man oppressed by circumstances beyond their control.
Italian neorealism is depicted in the movie by setting the film amongst the poor and working class,
filming it on real locations and using non–professional actors. "They showed ordinary lives twisted
by events and social forces beyond their control." (Leff and Simmons, 2001, Pg. 145) This does not
imply that all neorealist movies demonstrate these characteristics; it is a strong convention of
cinematic realism and a motivation for some of the filmmakers especially Vittorio de

Ladri Di Bicclette Analysis
Water is pouring into the heavy containers to be carried by the women to their houses. Waiting in
line, the women must care for their household by doing their "duty" as a mother and the necessities
for survival. De Sica's, Ladri di Biciclette, involves an essential take on female identity in post–
WWII Italian society. This scene, among the other early scenes in the film featuring Maria, not only
emphasize the nurturing and supportive role women were often placed into, but also the dominant
role women took on in managing the household and holding together the family through the
economic crisis in Italy. Calling on the historical past of the economic crisis in Italy, in addition to
referencing previous contributors to Italian film studies, Maria's ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
In this scene, she states, "Alright, We'll take care of that Antonio," after Ricci feels as though he
cannot act because he has no money to buy the bike he needs (Ladri di Biciclette). Maria calms him,
never yells, and essentially makes Ricci feel as though everything will be alright. Robert A.
Rushing, in his work entitled, "De Sica's The Children Are Watching Us: Neorealist Cinema and
Sexual Difference" analyzes the work of De Sica stating that, "In the case of De Sica, at least, we
are left with a series of hypothetical regrets (which generally make woman bear the burden of guilt"
(Rushing 110). Maria, for example, must manage the depression of Ricci, while also making do with
little, since Ricci has no job. Her son has a job, however, in a sense, as a mom, one would assume
Maria bears the burden of guilt for not being able to give her children a "kids" life where her son
and baby could play rather than work as soon they are old enough. With Ricci in depression, Maria
is the one that must bear the weight of poverty, finding ways to make do with little and make the
impossible, such as the bike, a

Vittorio De Sico And Italian Neorealism
The average outing to the local movie theater is a pleasant experience; a show of laughs and drama
and romance, wrapped into a satisfying plot to be quickly forgotten by the transient audience. The
experiences of the Second World War, especially in Italy, forced the artistic film industry to grow
jaded quickly. Italian Neorealism, a film movement at odds with the conventional cinematic
experience, finds it somewhat inappropriate to have idealized heroes achieve happily–ever–after
lives after so many did not in the grim reality of the war. Vittorio De Sica and Cesare Zavattini were
pioneers of the movement, which (although not the first) is best exemplified by Umberto D.,
released in Italy in 1952, and after a slow commercial reception, released abroad and in the U.S. in
1955. It features an old man and his dog as they struggle to survive in the tough reality of the Italian
postwar city. The film was hailed by critics as a shining example of the maturity and emotional
power of realism. In a world of fabricated Hollywood plots, critics all over the world in the 1950s
relished the uncompromising candor of the neorealist film Umberto D., while the commercial
reception clearly shows that the mass audience preferred the purified filters of non–realist cinema.
Cesare Zavattini, the co–writer of Umberto D. and many other films with De Sica, gave an
interview in 1952 in which he outlined the theory and essence of Italian Neorealism. He deplored
the practice of inventing banal and contrived plots, calling it "superimposing dead formulas over
living social facts" (Zavattini). If a story is death to Zavattini, reality is life. He sees real life as a
rich mine of content with no sparkling additives necessary; a simple everyday action can be
dissected and investigated to reveal a greater truth about the reality of the situation. Poverty is the
main subject for neorealist films, and Zavattini justifies this by saying he features poverty because it
is the most important contemporary reality of the people. Neorealist films do not use professional
actors either; the title character in Umberto D. was played by a university professor with no acting
experience. This adds to the realism by having people who actually face the

Theme Of Vittorio De Sica
Vittorio De Sica is considered one of the most important directors during the time of the Italian
Neorealism movement which occurred after the fall of fascism in Italy. Neorealism revolves around
realistic filmmaking. Rather than produce glossy films to heal the heartbreak in this post war
country, De Sica and several other directors focused on the working class and how fatal the blow of
fascism was. It was an artistic response to an abundance of commercial entertainment films spewing
from Hollywood. Although it was beautiful it was much more than a piece of art, it was
revolutionary. These films offered not the escape that many Italians desired at the time but instead
held a mirror up to the general public. It showed that if the public cares about one family's story on
screen every family's story matters, a crucial point to make after years of a dictatorship that told
them the opposite. The most predominant themes that are portrayed in De Sica's work are poverty,
economic turndown and choices. He displays these uniquely through mise–en–scene, dialogue,
cinematography and attitude. The ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
He must have a bike, unfortunately we learn that previously he was forced to pawn his bike off for
food. Antonio's wife Maria acts quickly and sells their bed linens. This is crucial as it shows the
viewer that the most valuable belonging they own is sheets. Many Italian citizens would have
related to this greatly. De Sica also shows others standing in the que to sell items in return for
money, their faces grave with desperation the cinematography in this scene reminds the viewer that
it is not just the protagonist going through this tough time, its everybody. This highlights the
neorealism style by not singling out one character and focusing on the working class. In many
scenes in the film there are a mass amount of people either walking by or noticeable in the
background and foreground of the

Realism In Umberto D
The Italian Neo–realist film Umberto D directed by Vittorio De Sica follows the life of elderly
Umberto Domenico Ferrari, a pensioner struggling to get by after pensions have been reduced post
World War II. In the aftermath of major tragedy and suffering, such as the war that Umberto lived
through, hope can be hard to find. Society is a web of dependence. Individuals rely on the
government to provide a support structure of benefits and protection. Individuals count on each
other for love and validation. When one strand of the web collapses, disaster can result. In this case,
the government let Umberto down by not providing his pension. His life tilts on the edge, but the
dependence of his dog brings it back into balance. Umberto D shows how ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
At certain points throughout the movie, he tries to step in as a father figure for her. He asks her if
she has done her grammar assignment. When she responds no he replies, "Everyone takes advantage
of the ignorant." Umberto also promises to talk to the two soldiers who one of which she suspects
may be the father to get them to them to take responsibility. Maria does return the relationship, she
trusts him enough that he is the only one she tells that she is pregnant and does not know who the
father is and she agrees to watch Flike while he is in the hospital, however; when one of the nuns at
the hospital asks Umberto is Maria is his daughter he jokingly responds yes but she is quick to say
no. She leaves soon after. Isolation brings these two together but their relationship doesn't go much
deeper than that and Maria has too many of her own issues to fully be there for Umberto. The only
constant presence in Umberto's life is his dog

The Bicycle Thief By Antonio Ricci
The bicycle thief is a 1948 Italian drama film that follows the life of a man named Antonio Ricci
during the Italian post–war. Antonio has been jobless for past two years when an opportunity finally
presents itself. He is offered a job as a poster on the condition he has his own bike that he can use.
At the time, Antonio had put his bicycle for sale at the pawn shop because of his low income due to
the lack of employment following the Italian war. However, Antonio's wife agreed that Antonio
really needed this job so she decided that they instead just sell six sheets to the pawnshop. Antonio
arrived at his job for his first day of work, only to discover his bicycle is stolen. His friend offers to
help with the search the following morning at

Italian Neorealism ( 1945-1953 )
Italian neorealism (1945–1953), through directors like Roberto Rossellini and Vittorio De Sica,
made its trademark on cinematic history not only in Italy, but also throughout the world. It was films
such as Rome Open City (Roma città aperta, 1945), The Bicycle Thief (Ladri di biciclette, 1948),
and Umberto D., (1952) whose style of depicting the harsh economic and social realities of the poor
and working class of Italy took off as a new cinematic style after World War II. Neorealism is a
response to desperate economic situations and often illustrates suffering, poverty, injustice, and/or
discrimination. Many argue that neorealism is a way of seeing reality without prejudice due to the
documentary–like technique of the film and its ability ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
In truth, it is a metaphor for a better tomorrow with the lingering theme of the hope and promise of
children. This theme further emphasized in the final scene of Rome Open City with the children
walking out of frame. With the city of Rome as the backdrop for this final scene, it offered a sense
of renewed hope for the future. Rossellini balances this theme of renewed hope with trauma and
tragedy, in particular the death of the main female character, Pina. The audience is first introduced to
Pina as both a bride–to–be and mother–to–be. The "to–be" attached to mother and bride suggests
that there is a future. However, Rossellini brings this "future" to a tragic end in the closing scenes of
the film. As Pina pushes her way through the apartment complex courtyard, through a barricade of
Nazi soldiers to run after her fiance Francesco who has been captured. As she is running through the
streets, she is tragically shot down and dies in the middle of the street. Francesco manages to escape
Nazi custody, making it a senseless and pointless death. Not only is this the tragic death of an Italian
woman, but also a pregnant one. It has been said that Rossellini's style is a way of seeing. There is
no other visual quite like the one Rossellini leaves the viewer with in the final scenes of this film. It
is in this way that Rossellini is once again able to highlight characteristics of neorealism in his films.
With Pina's death, the characteristic of revealing the

Bicycle Thieves: An Expression of Italian Neo-realism
Bicycle Thieves is considered an example of Italian Neo–realism. The plot demonstrates Italians of
the working class in Italy and unfolds their day to day lives. One could argue it portray the reality
and develops into an emotional storyline towards the end. Antonio, the main character is offered a
job requiring a bicycle and on his first day it was stolen on the streets. You immediately feel drawn
to the character as you want to see a happy ending. Watching the film, automatically feel sorry for
him as he's got no money and needs to make a living as soon as possible for his wife with two
children to support. From the close ups and observational shots it clearly shows he is desperate as
Antonio and his son Bruno go around searching for it ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The line up by the bus is a real life experience. Antonio believes the police will take their story
seriously. This scene engages the audience through his emotions as he's mocked as he desperately
seeks answers from a fortune teller. Shots of his disappointment with the fortune teller suggest how
people were desperate for help they would risk little of the money they have left They've been
scammed by the fortune teller, which suggest they will go beyond their limits spending money they
don't have for a bit of hope. They are all miserable after the war. This is seen as a socialist film.
When Antonio admits to his son if he can't work they will starve, the camera shots are focused on
their emotions more than his response.
The difference between the bourgeois is excessively clear in the restaurant as the boy looks up to the
rich boy by the way he eats. This scene is important as it masks the living conditions and how
serious it is for them to work all the time. One scene where Bruno steals a bicycle and pedals
quickly away when he is caught shows the intensity of desperation in Italy and immediately you feel
sorry for him. Within this shot you can see the inner turmoil in Antonio's eyes from the close up.
This is a clear indication of the social matters in Italy. By presenting these emotions scenes puts the
story of the protagonist in the context of a wider

Neorealism In Open City
Historical films like Roberto Rossellini's Open City (1945)
The importance has in taking part of the Italian neo–realism movement that was important,
This film was created after the fall of Benito Mussolini's government, Rossellini wanted to create
the film to show the realism and the after effect of the war, the films were created majority on the
streets of Rome all the buildings and the infrastructures were damaged the film was well thought out
Neorealism was a sign of cultural change and social progress that Italy was going through.
With the historical importance of its time with the war ending Rossellini wanted to show what the
citizens of Italy had to endure, the working class life and of the struggles the people have to go
through and social conditions, one of the major aspects of the film Open City was that Rossellini
used nonprofessional actor in anticipating the real expressions and feelings of the character, he
wanted to show the raw film and the realistic faces and the genuine emotions of the actors in where
they showcased the way the character felt, where there acting was more real, where the character
acted in accordance to their emotions of the after effect of the war in which this was a personal
effect on the characters. Italian Neorealism came about as World War II ended and Benito
Mussolini's government fell, causing the film industry to lose its idea and the foundations of the
film, the majority of the films needed to be very carefully written and directed

How To Read Vittorio De Sica
Vittorio De Sica was one of the most influential and talented directors of the postwar Italian cinema
and known to be an important figure in the neorealist movement that changed the cinema scene not
only in Italy but in Europe and beyond. Considered to be one of De Sica`s best work, Umberto D. is
a fine representation of neorealism. Because Umberto D. is an author–based cinema, the audience
could see that De Sica`s visions, his values of truth and ethics are embedded in it.
Nonprofessional actors playing the lead roles and shot on real location, the story takes place in
Rome during the post war era when Italy was reconstructing itself and rapidly becoming
modernized. It is told from the point of view an old retired bureaucrat and shows his struggle to
survive along with his nonhuman ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Umberto D. critiques the indifference and the lack of decency in human nature through Umberto`s
interaction and relationship with other people and shows how that society perceives the helpless
poor ; insignificant, burdensome and useless.
In the "initial frame" or the opening scene, shot from higher angle, a crowd of organized elders is
protesting and cars are parked on the opposite side of the street while there is a bustle of people
walking on the sidewalk. Among the crowd, Umberto is seen very briefly few times. At first, it is
not clear who is our protagonist because he is just one of the many faces in the crowd. Soon
Umberto with his dog, Flike, emerges from the crowd. The protests for an increase ends up being
dispersed and ignored. A

Picture Paris And Bicycle Thieves Similarities
Sometimes people forget that food is an art and that it has the power to move us emotionally just as
music, literature and paintings can. Picture Paris and Bicycle Thieves are two films that both employ
the usage of narrative devices hand in hand with food to develop the characters and their family
bonds. Although each narrative revolves around the central themes of food, family and dignity the
two are developed in radically different ways. The Bicycle Thieves uses the concept of neorealism
to employ the theme of hunger by focusing on the day to day struggles the Italians faced after World
War II to develop a family bond whereas in Picture Paris the theme of food is used to draw a parallel
connection between her obsession with Paris and the ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Throughout the entirety of Picture Paris, we are following the story as an external narrator who
seems to know all the actions of everyone, primarily of Ellen, tells it. The audience is under the
impression that this narrator is predicting what will happen to Ellen even though noting has
happened to her through an omniscient perspective. Until the very end the narrator is anyone but
someone who plays a major role in the short film. Towards the end the narrator is revealed to be an
internal character, the protagonists boyfriend. Due to this newly acquired knowledge it has the
audience question the accuracy of the story. Did Ellen really kill her husband and bake him into the
Pâté or did the narrator toy with our minds and make us think what he is revealing is the truth.
Bicycle Thieves conversely mounts the story without a narrator. Without the narrator the story is
unbiased and the audience knows without a doubt in their mind where the story is heading and that
Ricci unfortunately will most likely end up with

Vittorio De Sica Bicycle Thieves
Vittorio De Sica started making films in the late 1940s, with The Bicycle Thief being one of his first
films. De Sica was able to capture the struggles of a particular life, but also made it general enough
for a multitude of people to be able to relate to the problems the characters face. De Sica is an
example of a Neorealist filmmaker with his usage of nonprofessional actors as most of his character,
as he felt they provided a certain authenticity to the films. He filmed on location, using natural light
as their only source, in an attempt to make the film seem as legitimate as possible. All of his films
covered topics of hardship of those living in poverty during the postwar Italy. One of his films that
strays from his typical Neorealism style

Bicycle Thieves Essay
Bicycle Thieves (1948) is the story of a father and his desperate search for his stolen bicycle,
without which he faces poverty and an inability to support his young family. The film was directed
by Vittorio De Sica, who co–wrote the screenplay with Cesare Zavattini, based on the novel of the
same name by Luigi Bartolini. André Bazin (1971) notably champions the view that it is a 'true
masterpiece' of Italian neorealism, to which it was a relative late comer, in fact he insists that De
Sica had reignited the aesthetic of neorealism, breathing new life into what he felt was a struggling
movement.1 In many ways, his assertion was true, with the likes of Rossellini and Visconti
continuing to produce additions to the canon, De Sica again contributing ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
This produces an almost documentary–like aesthetic, layering the fiction with a sense of honest
reality; the camera feels like a spectator placed in the environment, reflecting the ambience of
documentaries. Similarly, in Bicycle Thieves, the use of location shooting produces a similar result;
the busy Sunday market, the search by the Tiber, Antonio's failed theft outside of the stadium; all of
these scenes carry an atmosphere of actuality. Bicycle Thieves succeeds as a realist film here, the
use of real location lends a sense of authenticity to the aesthetic quality of the film. While it may not
have the same raw delivery as Rome, Open City, which was haphazardly shot during the liberation
of Italy, we are still presented with a cinematography and mise en scene which respects the reality it
is attempting to portray. Bicycle Thieves prospers in this sense, the simple journey through Rome
over the course of the film does not exploit the wonders of the ancient city. De Sica purposefully
shows us the streets we are not familiar with, the parts of the city which belong to its people, not its
internationally recognized

Bicycle Thief Essay
The Bicycle Thief The Bicycle Thief is probably the best known and most highly praised of all the
Italian Neorealist films of its era. The films of the Neorealist movement were characterized by
several primary ideas. Instead of featuring stories focusing on glitz and glamour, Neorealist films
focused on the poor and the working class. Instead of building and fabricating complex sets to film
on, they did their filming on location. And instead of trying to get the most well known, highly paid
celebrity actors, they frequently used people that weren't even professional actors and had no
training for their starring roles. This all helped lend a sense of realism and weight to the stories. The
Bicycle Thief takes place in Rome during a ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
With no other choice, Antonio takes to the streets and searches for his bike for hours, but comes up
empty handed. The scene where he and his son are caught in the rain, soaked and downtrodden, as
all around him people on their bikes are riding away really makes poignant the hopelessness of his
situation. After trying everything he can think of to get any leads on the thief or the location of his
bike, go so far as to even spend what little money he has left on a fortune teller, he happens to bump
into the thief in question walking down the street. He chases and finally corners him, but the thief
refuses to confess anything and his family and friends defend him from the furious Antonio. The
cops arrive, and yet again, they are of no help. They can't do anything for Antonio as he has no
concrete evidence of the crime. Pushed to the final point of desperation, Antonio realizes he has no
choice left but to stoop to the lowest level and steal a bike if he doesn't want his family to starve. He
tries to snatch one but is almost immediately taken down by witnesses and held until the police
arrive. Seeing Antonio's son distraught and in tears, the man doesn't press charge and lets him off
the hook. Antonio and his son walk off, both of them in tears, completely hopeless and beaten by
society at every turn. This is what Italian Neorealism is all about. For millions upon millions

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